Three Wise Men Greeting Entry Into Lagos 2008

Curator: Stepping in front of us is Kehinde Wiley’s monumental mixed-media piece, “Three Wise Men Greeting Entry Into Lagos,” completed in 2008. The way the artist merges painting with intricate pattern work really arrests your gaze. Editor: Arresting is one word for it. Visually overwhelming might be another. My immediate feeling is that this piece overflows with a kind of exuberant confidence, almost demanding attention. How did he build this up? Curator: Wiley constructs these canvases by hand using acrylic paint, and then integrates a layer of digitally produced designs to create these really arresting decorative grounds that pull you right in, a signature technique of his at this point. Think about it – mass-produced visual culture meets meticulous handmade painting. Editor: It’s that clash I find so potent. The regal poses of the figures against such a vibrant backdrop challenges our expectations of portraiture, especially representations of Black men. Each figure is unique in their expression. What can you tell me about that? Curator: Well, as with much of Wiley’s work, the subjects are ordinary people he encountered, in this case, presumably in Lagos. He gives them space and power, literally elevating them through scale and this heroic visual language. He asks them to choose poses inspired by classical portraits, so even that initial act of selection is woven into the material and process. Editor: This speaks to reclaiming narratives. In art history, these heroic poses, the rich fabrics, were the domain of the European elite. Here, Wiley gives these tools to young Black men, reshaping the visual narrative of power, masculinity, and identity. How fascinating is that process of re-appropriation, and does that relate to Lagos at all? Curator: The backdrop connects to the source point. These aren't just pretty floral designs; the background patterns reference Dutch wax fabrics which, while inspired by Indonesian batik, became strongly associated with West African identity and markets, demonstrating complex exchanges of cultural meaning in consumer products and labour between Africa, Europe and Asia. Editor: That is fascinating and it really complicates this idea of surface. I initially read the decoration as a celebration, but learning about its production history adds layers of colonialism and global exchange, which are so crucial in understanding the construction of identity today. The layers are quite telling. Curator: Exactly! It shows the work and consideration of every process. I love the level of commentary within the textures that at first, might just seem decorative. Editor: Wiley prompts us to consider the interplay of visibility and the unseen labor, which truly shifts this from a formal exercise into something profoundly resonant. Curator: Definitely, Kehinde Wiley's striking merging of production modes invites a fresh appreciation. Editor: Absolutely! The dialogues here open avenues for viewers to reflect critically on cultural narratives that so richly enhance one’s perspective.